I’ve Tried Hard Enough To Like It: Where Teen Of Denial (Joe’s Story) Falls Flat

Teens of Denial (2016), an album by the band Car Seat Headrest, is a moody and explosive record that precisely reflects the alienated adolescent mind. It easily became a staple in indie rock as Car Seat Headrest displayed the way the genre could be bent and strategically leaned into to create a cohesive yet daring record. Ten years later, the album remains an integral and popular part of the band’s discography. Its ability to capture the existential dread of transitioning from youth to adulthood made it an anthem for their largely young adult fanbase. For its anniversary, it was re-recorded with several vocal, instrumental, and lyrical changes. On May 20, 2026, it was released under the title Teen Of Denial: Joe’s Story. 

The goal of Teen Of Denial: Joe’s Story was to reimagine Teens of Denial (2016) in a way that placed the characters only briefly introduced in the songs under a microscope rather than playing into general themes as it did initially, turning it into a concept album. Joe, for example, was featured by name in two song titles, both of which seemed to describe a fragment of a larger story where Joe, grappling with the death of his little brother, is tugged down a path of substance abuse and depression. Car Seat Headrest is no stranger to the concept album and much less of a stranger to reworking past material. Their biggest hit to this day, Twin Fantasy (Face To Face) (2018), is a rerecording of their Bandcamp classic Twin Fantasy (Mirror To Mirror) (2011) of similar themes to Teens of Denial but with an emphasis on romance and heartbreak. So, the new release was expected to at least increase in sonic and storytelling quality, considering that the band seems to thrive when they explore relatable topics surrounding being young. 

While it was exciting to see the band revisit such an excellent album, many issues were evident upon its release. There were numerous lyric alterations that replaced old lyrics with less effective and ultimately unremarkable lines. This happens most frequently in “Cosmic Hero (Joe’s Story),” where the line “And of course I’m alright with death / But why you talk about it so goddamn much?” was changed to “And of course I’m alright with death / But I hoped it wouldn’t be in my life so much.” The original remark leaves room for the listener to feel the implicit sense of nauseating unease. The speaker’s critical nature in discussing death casually reveals their fear of it being imminent or uncomfortably prominent in their life. It also emphasizes how he’s surrounded by people who don’t seem to grasp the weight and consequences of death or may have come to terms with its destructiveness too soon. The new lyric limits its meaning by only addressing how death is common in Joe’s life. It’s too on the nose and doesn’t allude to the full scope of loss and grief as the original does, thus taking away from the weight of the overall track.

Additionally, the instrumentals faced similar changes for the worse. In most songs, the drums are louder than they were originally, which distracts the listener from paying attention to the other instrumental choices such as guitar tone. In the song “Vincent,” the distorted tone of the guitar is harder to hear, which is a shame since it’s one of the things that made the track so expansive. The sustained trumpet notes are also drowned out by drums, which dulls the complexity of the instrumental arrangement. The drum rhythm, defined by its fast-paced and repetitive nature during the first chorus of the original version, however, was effective, working in tandem with the other layers of instruments to create a loud and exhilarating effect. Increasing the volume of the drums throws the track off balance and takes the listener out of the deeply immersive moment it should’ve been.

Alongside instrumental and lyrical changes were songs being cut from the album. “The Ballad of Costa Concordia” and “Unforgiving Girl (She’s Not An)” were almost completely removed from the track list, the former being replaced with "The Ravenous House" and the latter being switched out for "Optimistic Son.” “The Ballad of Costa Concordia” and “The Ravenous House” are almost identical instrumentally, but the lyrics and, consequently, the vocals were understandably completely changed to fit Joe’s narrative. However, there’s a moment in the breakdown of “The Ballad of Costa Concordia” when band founder and frontman Will Toledo's vocals grow increasingly muffled, with static effects being added to it. This stresses the helplessness of the speaker as he sings about feeling unprepared for adult life. The grainy effect is removed entirely from the breakdown in “The Ravenous House” despite being thematically similar to the original. As a result, that section of the song loses some of its emotion and ability to affect the listener.

As for “Optimistic Son,” it is an entirely new song included for the same reason why “The Ballad of Costa Concordia” was reworked. “Optimistic Son” is cohesive and catchy, fitting in well with the rest of the album in regard to style and story. It can hold its ground next to “Unforgiving Girl (She’s Not An),” with playful guitar riffs and a sprawling guitar solo in its outro. However, while being one of the more memorable parts of the song, it struggles to stand out with its low volume because of the blaring drums. Both “The Ravenous House” and “Optimistic Son” are on the cusp of reaching the quality of their originals. The lyrics are equally as strong; the only pitfalls are the jarring vocal mixing and the recurring ill-fitting loudness of the drums. 

Despite the album’s issues with the added lyrics and poor choices in instrumental adjustments, Teen Of Denial: Joe’s Story has some great displays of new vocals from Toledo. The new version of “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” features an entirely new vocal recording. While it does bear the same production issues as the rest of the songs with revisions, there is definitely space for the listener to appreciate the evolution of Toledo’s voice over the years. His voice has matured greatly, attempting falsetto more often and creating a more polished, airy feeling. This is especially clear when compared to his early work, which was marked by his low, monotone, and at dramatic times, raw and gravelly voice.

In all, Teen of Denial: Joe’s Story isn’t completely unremarkable in the grand scheme of its genre, but compared to the original album, it pales and finds itself obscured by everything that made Teens of Denial amazing. Change is hard to face, especially when things are great as they already are. The standards are already so, so high, making criticism hard to avoid, especially when there’s so little clarity in most of the alterations. It goes to show how important intention is when crafting an album as poignant as Teens of Denial. It only takes a few haphazard decisions to really dim the heart and charm of a record.